Application launcher

• US 20060069474A1
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Bumgarner, Michael A., Dietsch, Douglas Jay, Starks, Matthew W., Melvin, Steven L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A computer, connected to a communications bus, includes a display that selectively displays a user interface. A plurality of diagnostic applications installed on the computer are capable of receiving data from the communications bus via the connection. Instructions executable on the computer provide a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface, accept input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched, and launch the indicated diagnostic application. In one embodiment, the communications bus is in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer including a display that selectively displays a user interface;

a communications bus;

a connection between the computer and the communications bus;

a plurality of diagnostic applications installed on the computer that are capable of receiving data from the communications bus via the connection; and

instructions executable on the computer for;

providing a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface;

accepting input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

launching the indicated diagnostic application.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for monitoring the launched diagnostic application.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for determining whether the diagnostic application has stopped executing.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for stopping communications between the computer and the communications bus prior to launching the indicated diagnostic application.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle, wherein the communications bus is within the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable on the computer for:

accepting input indicating a second one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

launching the indicated second diagnostic application.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said input indicating a second one of the diagnostic applications to be launched is accepted only if a determination is made that the initial indicated diagnostic application is no longer running on the computer.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for displaying a subset of the diagnostic applications in the list in response to an input.

9. A method for launching diagnostic applications on a computer comprising:

displaying a user interface on the computer;

establishing a connection between the computer and a communications bus;

providing a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface;

accepting input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

launching the indicated diagnostic application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring the launched diagnostic application.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether the diagnostic application has stopped executing.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising stopping, prior to the launching step, communications between the computer and the communications bus.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications bus is within a vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

accepting input indicating a second one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

launching the indicated second diagnostic application.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said input indicating a second one of the diagnostic applications to be launched is accepted only if a determination is made that the initial indicated diagnostic application is no longer running on the computer.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for displaying a subset of the diagnostic applications in the list in response to an input.

17. A system comprising:

means for communicating between a computer and a communications bus;

means for displaying a list of a plurality of diagnostic applications installed on the computer that are capable of receiving data from the communications bus via the connection;

means for providing a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface;

means for accepting input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

means for launching the indicated diagnostic application.